We know it's the middle of winter and you probably haven't made plans for the weekend yet, but it's not too late to go out and do something awesome. Below, find all of your options for last-minute entertainment that won't cost more than $10, ranging from a Ladies of Rap dance party to Seattle World Tour live music shows in Capitol Hill and Columbia City, and from the Georgetown Steam Plant Open House to Starkbier Fest. For even more options, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile appâavailable now on the App Store and Google Play.
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FRIDAY
ART1. Art Up PhinneyWood
Walk around charming Greenwood/Phinney and take in art from dozens of venues, from galleries to restaurants to bookshops, including Couth Buzzard Books, Naked City Brewery, and the Phinney Center Gallery.
2. MoNoise
Meet local artist MoNoise and see his work during the Belltown Art Walk. 52Kings will also play a live set.
(Belltown, free)
3. Re:Acclimating
23 artists from around the country have created work relating to climate change and the interdependence of humanity and nature.
(Kirkland, free)
Opening Friday
4. TGIF: Three Groups, Improv Friday
This Redmond stage offers three improv groups' frolics for the low price of $10.
(Redmond, $10)
5. Night Lab: Board Games and Booze
Do you take your drink of choice with a side of Dungeons & Dragons or Settlers of Catan? Join fellow board game enthusiasts for a night of games and booze.
(Capitol Hill, free)
6. Bootie Seattle: NYE Do-Over Party!
Seattle's only all-mashup dance party throws down for an all-out NYE do-over complete with another midnight countdown and tons of confetti. Prep thyself for all the '00s club bangers and '10s Top40 hits you could possibly handle.
(Capitol Hill, $5/$10)
7. Cairo Knife Fight
New Zealand-born/L.A.-based rock duo Cairo Knife Fight combine bass loops with keyboards and loud guitars. Join them for a night of head bangers, with support from Devils Hunt Me Down, Maklak, and Le Grotto.
(Eastlake, $8/$10)
8. Federale, Temple Canyon, Guests
Collin Hegna of the Brian Jonestown Massacre leads Portland's Federale in songs inspired by Italian movie music from the 1960s and 1970s.
(Ballard, $10)
9. Jacqueline Tabor
Hear local jazz vocalist Jacqueline Tabor in Hotel Sorrento's Fireside Room.
(First Hill, free)
10. Pellegrini, Something Strange, Fuzz Mutt, Reverend Bear
Issaquah-born Daniel Pellegrini will perform material from Rocko Says, his May 2017 album influenced by '70s and '80s rock. Drawing from classic artists like Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson, Pellegrini adds his own power punk flavor. He'll be joined by Something Strange, Fuzz Mutt, and Reverend Bear.
(Shoreline, $8)
11. The Prince and Michael Experience with DJ Dave Paul
The ultimate tribute dance party for the angels among us, Prince and Michael Jackson. Music by DJ Dave Paul, all the way from San Francisco.
(Fremont, $8/$10)
12. Rat City Ruckus, The Sadists, Bad Sex, Tough Times
White Center gnarl gang Rat City Ruckus raid the liquor cabinet and go nowhere in a hurry with their brand of hard, stunted rock. They'll be joined by the Sadists, Bad Sex, and Tough Times.
(University District, $7)
13. Seattle World Tour: Capitol Hill
Hiphop collective All Star Opera will share the stage with other local MCs Guayaba, Remember Face, and DJ J-Nasty.
(Capitol Hill, $8/$10)
14. Silver Torches, The Hollers, Elizabeth Gundersen
Silver Torches (AKA Seattle-based songwriter Erik Walters) will be joined by the Hollers and Elizabeth Gundersen.
(Ballard, $10)
15. Snow White and the Baby Eaters, Trash Cult, Ladybugs
Seattle punks Snow White & the Baby Eaters will play a loud and fast show with support from Trash Cult and Ladybugs.
(Tukwila, $5)
16. Spirit Award, Wild Powwers, Belgian Fog, Happy Times Sad Times
Canât get enough local music these days, you say? These four high-octane outfits are going to jump-start your New Year with a solid mix of Seattle mood and Moog rock. Having just dropped their debut record, Neverending (Union Zero Records), in October, Spirit Award are taking their electronically dreamy psych pop set down the West Coast, and this show is their tour kickoff. If youâve never experienced the consumable ear candy of Wild Powwers, Belgian Fog, or Happy Times Sad Times, then do yourself a favor and get wild and get lost in the fog of happy and sad jams. ZACH FRIMMEL
(Capitol Hill, $8/$10)
17. Vice Device, Over, ShiverTwins
Portlandâs Vice Device rank among this countryâs best post-punk revivalists, churning out mid-tempo analog-synth-heavy, sax-championing jams falling somewhere between saxy Swiss Grauzone and icy-cool romantic UK legends Sad Lovers & Giants. BRITTNIE FULLER
(Capitol Hill, $8/$10)
18. Dolly & The DJ
Dolly Madison hosts a night of drag, drinks, and dancing.
(Montlake, free)
19. Trivia Puppet Company Presents: Primo
Trivia Puppet Company has been invited to attend the Scottish Manipulate Festival. Help them pay for their travel expenses at their first 2018 show, featuring "Prometheus," "The Coracle," and "The Stars Tonight."
(Capitol Hill, $10)
20. WEIRD: Spiced Girls
Join the WEIRD crew for this month's installment of what claims to be "Seattle's oddest drag show." Performers will put on their very best special tribute to the undisputed greatest band in the world, the Spice Girls.
(Downtown, $7/$9)
21. Deborah Reed: The Days When Birds Come Back
Reed will read from her latest novel, The Days the Birds Come Back, about a writer in crisis who hires an equally aimless carpenter to help her renovate her grandparents' beautiful Oregon Coast house.
(Capitol Hill, free)
22. World Dance Party
Learn dances from Tahiti, the Philippines, Kenya, West Africa, and Guatemala in 15-minute mini lessons. Bring a dish to share to add to the potluck rotation.
(Rainier Valley, free)
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
ART23. Brian A. Beck: rot
See new sculptures/assemblages by studio e artist Brian Beck, who often works in wood to make both large- and small-scale pieces.
(Georgetown, free)
Closing Saturday
24. Cathy McClure: Dispossessed
What lurks under the pelts of your kids' mechanical plush toys? Betty Bowen Awardâwinning artist and metalworker Cathy McClure took a pair of scissors to find out. Skinned, these cuddly cartoon characters and animal friendsâabandoned by their owners to thrift stores, where the artist picks them upâturn into clacking, cawing, snapping armies of gold-plated robots. These toys are "dispossessed" of their cultural moment and the affections that made them relevant. As for us, we're left with the detritus of our imagined futures. As CoCA Gallery writes: "The Digital Kids generationâs post-toy life leans more toward apathy and bewilderment at a screen over jubilance and exhilaration found in play." JOULE ZELMAN
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday
25. Christopher David White: Against the Grain
Christopher David White's meticulous clay sculptures explore textures of wood, metal, and fleshâoften in unexpected ways, such as human hearts and torsos apparently carved from trees.
(Downtown, free)
Closing Saturday
26. Gala Bent and Justin Gibbens
Gala Bent's paintings and objects combine organic shapes, cell-like structures, geometric planes, and gradients of earth colors. The Michigan-born artist's new show, Particle Playlist, should continue her dual fascination with biological sculptural detail and abstract geometry. Alongside her show, Justin Gibbens's Sea Change depicts figural, macroscopic fauna: His whales and dolphins seem realistic at first glance, but human iconography, symbol, and expression intrude upon their bodies. A sperm whale sports a cartoon of an angry fanged face on its snout; an orca flops on its back as if it's playing dead. Both float in a white, contextless void like illustrations in a science textbook. Gibbens, with sad wit, reveals marine mammals as we humans are transforming them.
(Queen Anne, free)
Artist talk on Saturday
27. Hobby Rockers: Robin Edwards and Bree McKenna
Once upon a time, in a weird online corner of the Seattle rap scene, the term âhobby rapperâ described people with 9-to-5 jobs whose hobby (maybe not quite passion, it was implied) was (typically middling-to-bad) rapping. Bree McKenna, whose membership in so many groupsâincluding Tacocatâmakes her possibly the Wolverine of the Seattle indie set, tells me via FB Messenger that â[her] sound guy friend told me that he calls office guys that play music as a spare time project with their buds âhobby-rockers,â and would always be exasperated at how long they wanna play and how many pedals they have.â âBut me and Robin [Edwards, aka Lisa Prank] are gonna be the hobby rockers of the painting world.â Maybe their art show will reclaim the word âhobbyâ from the weekenders and that homophobe Lobby. Now itâs up to you to see if they should keep their day jobs. LARRY MIZELL JR.
(Wallingford, free)
Closing Saturday
28. Klara Glosova: Life on the Sidelines: Singles
Czech-born artist Klara Glosova, a 2015 Stranger Genius Award nominee and winner of numerous other laurels, will depict the tension of parents on the sidelines as their children play sports. Her paintings emphasize individuality, slight movements, and isolation.
(Rainier Valley, free)
Opening reception on Saturday FRIDAY-SUNDAY
ART
29. impAct
impAct artist collective's group exhibition addresses mental health, climate change, domestic violence, police conflict, and other important issues of our time.
(Redmond, free)
Closing Sunday
30. Starkbier Fest
Prost bids you to "drink like a monk" with a 10-day starkbier (strong beer) extravaganza featuring raffle drawings. They're kicking off the festivities with Ayinger's Celebrator Doppelbock.
(Phinney, free)
31. The Addams Family Musical
Based on the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, The Addams Family Musical takes place when the kids have grown up. The sinister Wednesday Addams falls in love with a respectable boy named Lucas Beineke, whose normal family is the opposite Wednesday's creepy and kooky kin.
(University District, $10)
SATURDAY
ART32. Ballard Artwalk
For more than 20 years, the Ballard ArtWalk has encouraged community members to discover work of local makers in the area while enjoying food, music, and more. Venues include the Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop, Secret Garden Books, and other pleasant spots.
33. Community Art Workshop for Pier 86
Be a part of a proposed art installation on the Pier 86 Terminal by sharing your thoughts on "Seattle's past, present, and future." Your input may be featured in the inaugural projection on the pier's rectangle grain elevator.
(Belltown, free)
34. Georgetown Art Attack
Once a month, the art that resides in the tiny airport hamlet of Georgetown ATTACKS all passersby. In more literal terms, it's the day of art openings and street wonderment. In January, check out the opening reception for Dakota Gearhart: Everyday Possibilities of Feeling Like A Totally Different Person, the NOW Contemporary Comix Art Exhibition, and Somewhere Nearby, as well as a special performance as part of Indira Allegra: BODYWARP.
(Georgetown, free)
35. How to Apply for an Artist Grant
This seminar led by Artist Trust Program manager Katy Hannigan provides an overview of applying for artist grants. Participants will learn about funding opportunities, how the grant making process works, and tips to make a great application.
(Everett, free)
36. Ruben Trejo
Pioneering Northwest Latino sculptor and artist Ruben Trejo's work addresses religion and culture.
(Downtown, free)
Closing Saturday
37. Filth, Zine Scene, Bobby
Improviser Amanda and Yolanda promise the seamy underside of Improv Month. Zine Scene, aka Katy Nuttman and Ian Schempp, is a more complicated process: each audience member contributes a small, spontaneous piece of art or poetry in response to a prompt, and the duo takes off from there. The final improv troupe is Bobby: "Bobby is funny. Bobby is dramatic. Bobby can get stupid. Bobby can be serious." And that's all we know about Bobby.
(Greenwood, $10)
38. The Improv Comedy Show Starring East Side Story
This night with Second Story's resident improv team starts off with short-form improv, then proceeds in the second half with long-form.
(Redmond, $10)
39. Take 5 College Edition!
See young comics from the University of Puget Sound, Seattle University, Pacific Lutheran University, and the University of Washington.
(Greenwood, free)
40. Georgetown Steam Plant Open House
Seattle City Light will open the Georgetown Steam Plant to the public for free guided tours. Indulge in some Ruin Porn and learn more about the 110-year-old National Historic Landmark.
(Georgetown, free)
41. Seattle Parks MLK March
To celebrate MLK Day, join community members in a march from the Memorial Park to the Rainier Community Center, where you'll find activities and dinner.
(Central District, free)
42. Lineage
Last winter, professional skier Ingrid BackÂstrom set out to ski the top 25 ski runs in North America, accompanied by her husband, her newborn baby, and her parents. See a film about her adventures and meet Ingrid and her family in person.
(Wallingford, free)
43. Burgundian's 6th Anniversary
The craft beer bar celebrates its sixth with food specials and rare vintage beers on tap.
(Green Lake, free)
44. BE LOUD Bingo
Play a few rounds of bingo to help raise funds for the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center's BE LOUD Breakfast. Players have the chance to win prizes from the 5th Avenue Theatre, McMenamins, Target, Fandango, Bitterroot BBQ, and more.
(Georgetown, free)
45. Latinx Nerds Meetup
Local nerd-identifying Latinx folks can meet up for a night of Latin music, a loterĂa, community-building activities, baked goods from Cubes Baking Co., and tea.
(Wallingford, free)
46. Ravensburg Demo Day
Ravensburger will demonstrate how to play a plethora of their new and old games, from strategy games to science kits.
(Queen Anne, free)
47. Roll for Gender: Gaming and Nonbinary Identity
This workshop explores the gaming industry's capacity for both freedom/exploration and gender-based exclusion. Attendees will share stories of world-building, participate in group storytelling that prioritizes non-binary and trans players, and discuss personal experiences with gamingâboth positive and negative.
(Capitol Hill, free)
48. The Evergreen Shakers Album Release Party
Enjoy a night of Pacific Northwest-tinged folk, bluegrass, and alt-country from the Evergreen Shakers as they perform tracks from their new album.
(Ballard, $8/$10)
49. Hangry Hayrabs, DoNormaal, Trigger Words, Rabia Shaheen Qazi, Borys Kossakowski
Local rockers Hangry Hayrabs will headline this show for their album release with support sets by excellent local MC DoNormaal, world rock queen Rabia Shaheen Qazi (formerly of Rose Windows), Trigger Words in their first official show, and singer-songwriter Borys Kossakowski.
(Ballard, free)
50. Jacob London
Join Jacob London (AKA dance DJ duo Pezzner and Hanssen) to hear remixes galore.
(Pioneer Square, $10)
51. Jah Remedi, Quick Thinkers, Kelly Castle Scott, DJ Bernee
Seattle-based reggae band Jah Remedi, Quick Thinkers, Kelly Castle Scott, and DJ Bernee will keep you dancing all night.
(Greenwood, $7)
52. Johnaye Kendrick
Seattle favorite Johnaye Kendrick has spent decades perfecting her vocal skill among the likes of genre icons Terence Blanchard, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. This morning show will include lively jazz and conversation for all ages.
(Phinney, $5)
53. Ladies of Rap
DJ Emecks and DJ U.NO.HU will be spinning all your favorite female rappers of our time. Get down to Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyonce, and others.
(Capitol Hill, $5)
54. Live at the Shed: The Suffering Fuckheads
Some bands, you just gotta love them for their name. See above. Some bands, you just gotta love because they call their album Obnoxious Jazz for Sensitive Assholes. I was ready to not-gotta love them if they were just another hardcore bandâhey, man, you gotta earn the word âfuckâ in yer band name! To my pleasant surprise and the relief of my damaged ears, theyâre not hardcore. No, this is organ jazz with distortion. Or maybe distortion with jazz organ. Impolite but serious-minded organ/drum duels. So you just gotta love bands that pick rude names that make folks think theyâre hardcore. But in the end, Iâm intellectually persuaded. Spank my ass and call me Charlie. ANDREW HAMLIN
(Maple Leaf, $5)
55. Looters In-Store: Uniting Souls
Hear live in-store vinyl DJ sets while you shop for records. Selections will be made by Uniting Souls DJs Ramiro and Jeremy Nail.
(Capitol Hill, free)
56. Lost Dogma, One Step From Everywhere, Fast Nasties
The Northwest country rockers of Lost Dogma will play a set with support from One Step From Everywhere and Fast Nasties.
(West Seattle, $8)
57. Nestoria, Vigilante Santos, Saints By Day
Having just released their sophomore album, Monocloud, Seattle alt-rockers Nestoria will play with more local support from Vigilante Santos and Saints By Day.
(West Seattle, $5)
58. OHHH Alright
DJs Brian Lyons, Eugene Fauntleroy Page, Wesley Holmes, and Chad Neiro will be spinning all-vinyl sets.
(Downtown, free)
59. The Ramblin' Years, The Swearengens, Tekla Waterfield
Country-fried Americana-laced rock 'n' roll band and Seattle U alumni the Ramblin' Years will headline with their take on a good old-fashioned twang. They'll be joined by the Swearengens and Tekla Waterfield.
(Ballard, $10)
60. Seattle Rock Lottery
25 musicians are organized into five bands through a lottery-style selection, and are then released to their respective practice locations. The musicians have 12 hours to determine a band name and create three to five songs (only one of which can be a cover) before returning to the venue for a performance. Proceeds benefit Rain City Rock Camp for Girls.
(Belltown, $10)
61. Seattle World Tour: Columbia City
Multi-piece hiphop ensemble and artist collective All Star Opera has grown through the years from a two-MCs-and-a-DJ trio to a six-member live band that cranks out high-energy bohemian grooves. KIM SELLING
(Columbia City, $8)
62. Soyaya
Soyaya's music is a combination of Palmwine and Highlife, or as one of its members calls it, "indigenous R&B."
(Columbia City, free)
63. War Puppy, Thee Unsound, Garbeau
Local punk rockers War Puppy will be joined by Thee Unsound and Garbeau for a loud and fast night out in Tukwila.
(Tukwila, $7)
64. WARNING DANGER, The Snubs, Porn Bloopers, Greenriver Thrillers
Safety-themed punk group WARNING DANGER take their audiences on a ride of potentially problematic scenarios of life-endangerment. They'll be joined by the Snubs, Porn Bloopers, and Greenriver Thrillers.
(University District, $7)
65. West Coast Connect
Artists from local music collective Women.Weed.Wifi will open for DJ Sizzle's "L.A. Cumbiaton" at this West Coast-centric dance party.
(Sodo, $10)
66. Open Studio
Witness works in progress by performers Liz Houlton, Marissa Niederhauser, and Vanessa Goodman/Action at a Distance. Meet the artists and give them your most constructive feedback.
(Queen Anne, $5 suggested donation)
67. Washington State Korean American Day Celebration
The South Korean dance troupe Maro, which hails from the Jeju Islands, will dance, sing, and act out a 5,000-year-old myth in Leodo: The Paradise, as part of a ceremony honoring âThe Korean Day Billâ (5166), which was signed by Governor Chris Gregoire in 2007 and "recognizes the cultural and economic achievements made by Washingtonâs Korean-Americans."
(Federal Way, free)
68. Wolf Parade Live on KEXP
Montreal art rock powerhouse Wolf Parade will play a free and all-ages in-studio session at KEXP that will be viewable from their listening lounge (and listenable on air at 90.3FM or at www.kexp.org).
(Seattle Center, free)
69. Panel Talk: Searching for Home in the Pacific Northwest
Join Searching for Home curator Jennifer-Navva Milliken and a panel of local arts activism leaders in discussing how the refugee crisis and immigration have influenced the cultural landscape of the region.
(Bellevue, $5)
70. Tina Schumann and Shin Yu Pai
Tina Schumann, a Seattle poet, presents Two Countries: U.S. Daughters and Sons of Immigrant Parents, a collection of poetry, flash memoir, and more by 65 authors (including Shin Yu Pai, Li-Young Lee, Mary Lou Sanelli, Naomi Shihab Nye, Ocean Vuong, and others).
(Capitol Hill, free)
71. Protect Planned Parenthood
Once a month, Seattle Clinic Defense protests anti-abortionists who gather outside the Madison Street Planned Parenthood location.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
ART72. Living Cultures
Sharon Grainger's photographs reveal Haida, Lummi, Tlingit, and Kwakwakaâwakw contemporary life through portraits paired with narratives by tribal elders. They'll be accompanied by objects like artifacts and regalia. On February 16, 10 photographs by the celebrated Edward S. Curtis will be added to the exhibition.
(Downtown, free)
Opening Saturday
73. Chuck's CD Fourth Anniversary
Chuck's Hop Shop will celebrate turning four with a special anniversary IPA from Great Notion Brewing on draft and lots of other brews.
(Central District, free)
SUNDAY
ART74. The Sick Womxn & Queers Show
Raise money for local people dealing with sickness and celebrate the voices of womxn and queers with music by Nic Masangkay and Anna Gordon, poetry by Kayla Rosen and Samantha Peetros, an art installation, Sick Bed, by Grey Ellis, dance by Moonyeka, performance by Grief Girls, and DJing by PSA. Plus, they'll be raffling off Babeland goods and Valentine's Tattoo.
75. Piggyback: Stand-up Comedy and Improv Unite!
Piggyback features a stand-up comic followed by improvisers who'll create a narrative story inspired by the stand-up act.
(Downtown, $10)
76. Open Screening
This "open mic" hosted by Greg Gould is an opportunity for emerging filmmakers and digital media artists to show their work on a large screen.
(Capitol Hill, $3 donation)
77. SHRIEK! It + Happy Hour
It's time again for SHRIEK!, the class on women and minorities in horror films, which includes a screening and discussion led by Clarion West alum and author Evan J. Peterson, "Seattle's Film Maven" Heather Marie Bartels, and "strident intersectional feminist" Megan Peck. This time, watch the recent hit It and analyze its depiction of Beverly and Mike, among other things. (Plus, take advantage of Naked City's happy hour.)
(Greenwood, $10)
78. Black Folks Dinner
Black Folks Dinners strive to "feed and be fed; see and be seen; and to love all black bodies." Black community members are invited to bring a favorite dish to the series' 15th installment.
(Central District, free)
79. Catch a Rising Star: Scott Cuellar, Piano
Rice University doctoral student and Carnegie Hall alum Scott Cuellar will play a free, all-ages program on the piano as a part of this quarterly series for promising young pianists hosted by the UW Keyboard Program.
(University District, free)
80. Citrus Room Squeeze
Dance to old school cuts with DJs G-Lo and Han.
(Capitol Hill, $10)
81. Everson Pines, The Hasslers, Deb Montgomery
Substation gets rowdy with a night of dance-worthy rock and roll from Everson Pines, the Hasslers, and Deb Montgomery.
(Ballard, $8)
82. Klaus Nomi Night
Come in your most avant-garde look to dance the night away in remembrance of the late German vocalist Klaus Nomi, who was known for his wild theatrical performances. VIP tickets grant you access to an assortment of pastries, which were the musician's favorite snack.
(Capitol Hill, $5/$10)
83. Pisscat, Prison, Here Comes the Hooch
Local punk outfit Pisscat have been together since high school. They'll play their seasoned bangers with support from Prison and Here Comes the Hooch.
(Eastlake, $5/$8)
84. The Pizza Pulpit: EljĂŒn, The Heyfields, Corrosive Company
This edition of the Pizza Pulpit (always free and all ages) will feature live sets by local rock groups EljĂŒn, the Heyfields, and Corrosive Company.
(Belltown, free)
85. WLZ Volume 3 Issue 1 Zine Launch Party
Hear live readings, play literary games, and pick up a few copies of the Word Lit Zine at their launch party.
(Belltown, free)
86. Poster Prep for Seattle Women's March 2.0
Make your poster for the Seattle Women's March 2.0 ahead of time at this prep session.
(Capitol Hill, $10)
87. Refuse Fascism Seattle
Join Refuse Fascism Seattle for a meeting on how to take action against the Trump/Pence administration.
(Capitol Hill, free)
